Covering topics on religion, philosophy and life, this blog attempts to make biblical truths simple for the average believer. As porridge is soft to aid digestion, so the blog contents are easily understood.
However, there is also meaty stuff for those who aspire to go deeper. The relevance of the Bible in our daily life (areas such as finances, sex, marriage, health and emotional healing) is also dealt with.

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Thursday, 27 December 2012

HERD MENTALITY

Herd
mentality exists not only in wildlife reserves and the financial markets but
also in the spiritual realm.

Maasai
Mara in Kenya is one of Africa’s most well-known wildlife reserves. Every year
more than a million animals, mainly
wildebeest, migrate across the plain. If you
are on a safari tour, this great animal migration is truly a magnificent sight
to behold.

Some of
the wildebeests fall prey to waiting crocodiles as they cross the river. Once
they reach the other side, the wildebeests are pounced upon by lions and
leopards.

But the
seemingly unending stream of wildebeests thunders across the plain, making
their way to the river crossing – instinctively seized by herd mentality. After
all, it’s a matter of the survival of the fittest, never mind the high
attrition rate.

Man – though
much higher than animals in the order of creation – is not exempt from the
influence of herd mentality. We also tend to think and behave along similar
lines: ‘Follow the leader’, ‘There’s safety in numbers’. What are we to going to do if we do not join the crowd?

When
there is a bull run in the stock market, we find people from all walks
of life – including housewives, petty traders and hawkers – beating a path to
various stock broking firms, all wanting a piece of the action. They think good
times will continue to roll. Experts opine that when such euphoria reigns, it’s
time to be cautious; it may even be a signal to sell and take profit on our
portfolio of shares.

Herd
mentality exists not only in wildlife reserves and the financial markets but
also in the spiritual realm.

If we just follow the *majority, not questioning the validity of our
beliefs, we may be heading towards destruction. Let us not be lulled by a
sense of complacency that, since we are on the side of the majority, we are
safe. Sincerity is not enough. It can be very costly at the end of the
road.

For broad and easy is the way that leads
to destruction. But narrow and difficult is the way that leads to life:

“You can enter true
life only through the narrow gate. The gate to hell is very wide, and there is
plenty of room on the road that leads there. Many people go that way. But
the gate that opens the way to true life is narrow. And the road that leads
there is hard to follow. Only a few people find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

One
of the main reasons why false doctrine is able
to thrive is this: Believers are not willing to go back to the basics – have
an inquiring mind and study the Bible for themselves. They would
rather listen to some well-known preacher dish out selected portions of the
scripture highlighting a particular doctrinal slant.

We need to test every teaching to see how it lines up against
scripture.

It is better for us to go back to the Bible –
back to the basics, back to the source, like the Berean
believers. We need to search the
scripturesfor
ourselves, rather than get it “second-hand” through an illustrious personality or teacher.

The Bereans were cited as good examples because
they questioned what they were taught – even Paul’s teaching – scrutinising it
against the scriptures.

“And the people of Berea were more open-minded than
those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They
searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching
the truth” (Acts 17:11). (Some versions substitute the word ‘open-minded’ with
‘noble’).

Indeed,
a lack of openness is another major stumbling block to arriving at the truth.
If we already have fixed ideas, allowing ourselves to be exposed only to a particular
viewpoint, nothing will be able to change us – unless we are receptive to new ideas.

The mind is like a parachute. It works only
when it is open.

“The first to put forth his case seems
right, until someone else steps forward and cross-examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). That’s why, in a
court of law, both the prosecution and the defense attorneys are allowed to present
their case for a balanced view before sound judgment can be reached.